The Kitchen's Garden

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I am Cecilia. A New Zealander who farms in Illinois.

My farms are organic and regenerative and full of stories. I have been writing here about environmentally sustainable farming and food and travel since 2011.

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LATEST POSTS

Wind

I don’t really know why I wrote Wind in the heading as there is none this morning. In fact, living in the depths of the Mill 12 hours a day I cannot even really comment on whether we have had a lot of wind lately. I no longer see the weather coming. I am not…
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Sitting in Bed

Writing to you. I have reverted to an old habit of taking toast and coffee back to bed with me on a Saturday morning. I don’t go in to the mill ’til 10am on a Saturday morning so to just sit in my bed with a cup of coffee and my favourite toast gives me…
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Summery Sunday

We had a sweet little Sunday morning, today. The sun was in and out and the temperature was perfect. We brought the cows back from across the way. The whole herd. Well – all five of them. John will work on the fences over there and in a few months they will go back there…
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A rainy Sunday

When it rains I naturally turn towards the kitchen . This are the chickens when I let them out yesterday – apparently the ducks pond has nicer water! Ooo. Yesterday – I also shifted The Four from one field to another. Pigs shift very slowly – there is a lot to investigate on the way.…
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Stunning Day!

The pond is not quite finished but it has been filled and is circulating as a trial. It really is awfully pretty. My big black cow Tia has been sent to a bull to be bred – Aunty stayed home, much to her disappointment, but I am not breeding her again. As well as losing…
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In Bed

I have decided this morning to quite simply lie in bed and do this mornings work here. It is a still and overcast morning after a night of gentle steady rain. Maybe it is going to be hot – I don’t know. After a year working in the depths of the mill I have lost…
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